Hey everyone! Here's the newest chapter, all ready for your viewing pleasure. We're getting closer to the Summer Of AJ...the best is yet to come! Enjoy! =)

The song used is "Big Eyes" by the Bouncing Souls. It's a wonderful little song to listen to.

"You left home for the first time when you were seventeen
Searching for a life beginning a new dream
You drove your car all night to learn your way around
Feeling so alone in a parking lot downtown
You had your love to give
So much life to live"

April looked up to Bryan, a bittersweet smile on his lips as she realized what it was time for; they were splitting her and him up. Ever since WrestleMania, when he lost the World Heavyweight Title in a staggering eighteen seconds (after the two of them had shared one last kiss on the apron), she had a feeling this was going to happen, but she had been holding out hope that it wouldn't. But like every other time when she hoped she wouldn't be wrong, she was yet again. She had been beating herself up over it from the second his 'match' (if you could even call it that) with Stephen had ended to this moment here, backstage at SmackDown, five days later.

Couple that with the fact that she felt like utter trash for having sex with Phil in her rental car and putting herself back out there for him, only to have him keep her at arm's length again that same night of WrestleMania, and she was feeling like a torn up piece of gum on the bottom of someone's shoe…and now the best thing to happen in her career so far was being taken away from her?

She wished she could pretend this never happened, but it was…

"April, listen to me sweetheart", Bryan said softly as he pulled her in for a friendly, comforting hug. "I know things are looking pretty bleak right now, but you know that this isn't the end for you. You only have one place to go from here, and that's up. You have your entire career ahead of you, sweetie. You're going to be just fine."

A tear slid down her cheek and soaked into his shirt. She quickly willed it away as she bit down on her lip. She didn't want to look fragile in Bryan's eyes. She wanted to try and keep her head up through this. She wanted to get through it in one piece…

"C'mon, April. Let's just get this over with", Bryan said, taking her by the hand and leading her out of his dressing room and down the halls to the Gorilla position. "Just remember, I don't mean any of the words I'm going to say out there. I love you like a little sister, and I never want to bring you any harm."

"Okay", she whispered back, tucking a strand of her straight, mahogany hair behind her ear. "I believe you."

He felt like such a jerk for having to put her through this, considering everything else that had happened to her, but this was out of his hands; the call had come from upper management. His only concern was making sure she was fine after their segment was over. She had no idea of what they wanted him to say to her out there, she was going in blind. He thought that was pretty cruel of them to do to her, but he couldn't do anything about it. "This doesn't change anything, April. We're still going to travel with each other and we're still going to be friends. Everything's going to be fine."

She wanted to believe him when he said everything would be fine, she really did. But this was the story of her life. Anything good that would happen to her would get taken away…this was no different. In that instant, she allowed her mind to slightly wander to the fact that Phil was in house tonight for the show. Her heart then sank further, if that was even possible. He would bear witness to all of this. She wanted to crawl under a rock and remain there for the rest of her life if she could.

It was Friday and this had pretty much become the worst week of her entire life…

"You just had to steal the spotlight. You, your unbelievable selfishness, your clinginess cost me what should have been the greatest night of my life. So I hope, I hope you're happy with yourself, because I will never let you ruin my life like that ever again."

Phil watched on a monitor backstage, his arms folded across his chest, an unpleasant look on his face. He had told himself he didn't want to watch this segment, but there he was, watching it anyway. He knew that they hadn't told April what Dragon was going to say out there, and that pissed him off to no end. If he knew her at all, and he liked to think he did despite everything, he knew that right now, she wasn't seeing Dragon…she was seeing him. It broke his heart to know this.

"So go, go get your gas guzzling SUV. Go sit in your parking lot. Go cry over your disgusting cheeseburgers that you love so much. Because I am finally ready to get rid of all of this dead weight."

"Please, please let's just go backstage and talk about this…"

"No, no. I am not talking to you backstage, or anywhere. I hope that that kiss at WrestleMania was worth it, because that is the last kiss you will ever get from me. We. Are. Through. Now get out of my ring. I SAID GET OUT!"

He watched as Dragon turned his back on her…much like he had last summer. He so badly wanted to run out there and let her cry on his shoulder but he couldn't. The time wasn't near. It killed him to see her like this, though. There was nothing he could do though yet. He just had to bide his time. Besides, as bad as what he just saw and heard, he didn't think it could get any worse from here…

Two weeks later…

"Can we…please, just talk about our problems—"

"Oh, our problems? She's talking about our problems. Guess what, AJ? I don't have any problems. I had a problem, and I got rid of it. That problem was you."

Phil felt his blood begin to boil now. Why the fuck were they still parading her out there like this? Did someone think this was funny, to watch her get torn down constantly? It was pissing him off to no end. Enough was enough. She had been through too much, and now she had to get humiliated again? Why hadn't Dragon shot this down? He was going to have a word with his old friend as soon as this was over…

"Daniel…I know we can work this out. Besides, I just…wanted to see you…and wish you good luck in your match against Sheamus at Extreme Rules."

"I'm sorry, what was that? You wanted to wish me good luck? You know what I wish? I wish you hadn't come out here. I wish that I had never even met you. I wish that when you asked me out, I never said yes. And actually, actually, actually, I wish...that you were never…even…born."

That did it for Phil.

A few minutes after getting backstage, Bryan felt something or someone grab him by the back of his shirt and forcefully drag him and throw him against a wall, before a taped wrist found itself pressed rather hard up against his Adam's apple. "What the fuck, Phil!?"

"What the fuck is the matter with you, Dragon!?", Phil yelled into his face, rage and pure hatred dripping from his lips. His face was red and Bryan swore he could see veins popping out in his friend's forehead. "How could you fucking say something like that to her!?"

"Listen man, please hear me out", he said as calmly as he could given the situation. But Phil didn't want to hear any of it.

"You know DAMN WELL that she wasn't seeing you there, wasn't hearing your voice saying those fucking words…she was seeing me! It was MY VOICE she was hearing telling her that bullshit! You and I both know that this is a fucking play off of what I did last summer, leaving her behind and on her own!", he screamed, and for a second, Bryan thought Phil was going to deck him. "I don't know who the fuck thinks this shit is funny, but I sure as fuck DON'T."

"Phil, come on man, calm down, this isn't—", he managed to choke out before Phil's grip became tighter.

"You could have prevented this", he seethed through gritted teeth. "You knew what you were going to say, you could've stopped this and made sure it never happened. How…how could you put her through that knowing what I've done to that poor girl…how…"

By now, the fight and anger was gone from Phil's voice, and in its stead was self-loathing and regret. He knew that that night they shared in her rental car after Mania was eating away at him too. He knew that Phil never wanted it to get that far, but how could he deny April what she had been wanting since he left? He still loved her like no tomorrow but he couldn't give himself to her again...not yet, anyways. Bryan sympathized heavily with his friend.

"I told them I didn't want to do it man. I told them I felt too uncomfortable with it, that I felt like it would be too much for her, but you know how management can be sometimes…they wanted the best possible thing for television…and unfortunately for the three of us, that meant making her cry. You know I don't mean any of those words I said", he said, feeling Phil's grip loosen considerably. "She's a sweetheart and I love that girl like I would a sister. I don't want her to go through any more pain."

Phil went to say something, but out of the corner of his eye, he caught April running back from the ring. Sure enough, there were real tears in her eyes and she looked just about ready to split apart at the seams. Seeing her like that was always incredibly difficult for him, it tore him apart in ways he didn't think it could. Releasing his grip on Bryan, he took a step toward her. "April…"

But she ran. The tears, from what he could see, were falling freely, and she just ran as fast as she could, her sobs echoing off the walls of the empty backstage area. He didn't know where she was going, and he hoped against hope that she wasn't going to do anything destructive, but he knew one thing, and that made him sick to his stomach, as if this was anything new to him.

She was running away from him.

4 – 29 – 12

Chicago, Illinois

Extreme Rules

Allstate Arena

Phil ascended the top turnbuckle and looked out at the crowd…his hometown crowd. He then looked down at the Spanish announce table, where John's prone body laid, ready for the crash landing that they were both about to experience. Raising his arms into the air and pointing his fingers up to the heavens above, he thought about three things.

First, he thought about his friends and family sitting in the front row to his right. Colt, Chaleen, Amy, Chez, Cassie, Ace, Scott, Luke, Joey, Lars, Natalie, Hayley...they were all there to support him and cheer him on as he looked to vanquish John one last time. The rules for this little Chicago Street Fight were simple; if he won, John vowed not to challenge for the WWE Title again as long as he was champion. If John won, he said he'd do what he did before…he'd walk out, except for real this time. He couldn't lose. The stakes were too high. He wouldn't lose. Not with his family and friends all here to watch him fly and prove that he was the best in the world. He was doing this for them.

Second, he thought about one of his idols and the man he was emulating with this move; the late, great "Macho Man" Randy Savage. He had grown up watching Randy work his magic in and out of the ring for years, and he damn near worshipped the ground Macho Man walked on. He met him a few years back, before the tragic accident that claimed his life, and he was awestruck. When he found about the accident, he broke down crying. Wrestling was worse off without Randy around, and everyone with half a brain knew this fact to be true. He had only met the man once, but it was one of the best days of his life. He looked up at the clouds, his arms and hands still raised, and winked. He was dropping this elbow for the Macho Man.

And third…he thought about April. He knew he shouldn't be, but he couldn't help himself. He thought about the crazy, fucked up lives they shared with one another. He remembered when she was barely up to his hip, when she was but a shy, tiny little girl. They had been through so many ups and downs, starts and stops, happiness and suffering…it amazed him that neither one of their hearts had exploded due to all the stress that had been heaped upon them. And now it had all come to this. He knew what was happening after tonight. He'd do Raw tomorrow and then head straight to WWE Headquarters in Stamford. His plans were coming to fruition, and it wasn't coming at a better time. He was going to show her a new side of him, a different side. He was going to show her that this…between leaving with the title, breaking her heart, keeping her at a distance all while trying to remain as civil as possible…all of it…he was going to show her that it was worth it. He loved her with all he had to offer, and he was going to make her his again. She belonged to no one but him. She had once said to him, a few years ago, that she was going to be his keeper for life. But that was then, when he wasn't the man he was now. He was better for her and because of her. Now, he was going to be her keeper for life. He was going to prove just how much she meant to him. He was thinking of her in one of the biggest matches of his career.

So, with that, he looked back up at the skies. He knew she was watching somewhere backstage. Good, he thought. She'd see what he was about to do. His eyes trailed up, and with that, he whispered to himself, 'This is for you, April.' He then did the only thing he had left to do.

He leapt.

"Hey little girl don't look so sad it's not the end of the world
I've seen this film before, already know the ending
Some of the faces change but the plot it stays the same
Take my hand lets walk away"

April stood and watched idly from afar as Phil limped backstage. He was immediately met by a massive round of applause and numerous congratulations from everyone who was watching. At the forefront was Bryan, who stepped forward and gave him a hug, the two indy pals sharing a moment under the bright WWE lights. She smiled at the sight of it. She was so very, very proud of Phil and what he was able to accomplish again tonight. The Allstate Arena was rocking, once again, to its very core, and it was all because of him. She saw how happy, how spirited Colt, Amy and the rest of the gang looked when he stage dived into them and they held him aloft, celebrating the moment with him and the rest of the hometown crowd. She wished she could've been in the crowd with them all, but outside of Amy, Colt and Luke, she wasn't completely sure where she stood with the rest of them, especially his sisters. But it mattered not. Regardless of how she still felt about their post-WrestleMania escapade, she was just as happy for him as they were. That's what mattered right now.

She waited until he made his way through the crowd and limped down the hall to his dressing room. She watched from his cracked open door as he sat down and stared at the WWE Title silently for a few minutes. She almost didn't want to disturb him, but as soon as she made up her mind to leave him alone, his voice rang out through the now quieted halls.

"I know you're there, darling. There's no need to hide."

She cursed his Batman-like ability to know where she was at all times, but he was right, hiding was pointless right now. He had turned around to face her and waved her into the room, a smile, however pained, welcoming her in. "Come on Apple Jacks, you should know by now that I don't bite. C'mon in."

She did as he requested, taking a seat across from him, which made him shake his head and chuckle to himself. "You don't need to act like I'm radioactive or anything like that. You can sit next to me."

Shaking her head, April let out a sigh. "If I sit next to you, I might be tempted to take care of you and nurse you back to health. I think it's best if I stay here…", she said, her voice trailing off. She was just using that as a cover for her true feelings right now. He never looked sexier, in her mind, than when he was coming off a fight like the one he just went through John. The carnal, primitive side of her mind was telling her to go over there and have her way with him. But she knew better. She had to keep her distance. She was only here because he caught her.

Phil snorted and shook his head. As flaky as it sounded, he knew she was right. He couldn't let what happened after Mania happen again. So he would have to settle for this at the moment. She had no idea what was about to happen to her in the coming days, and he needed it to remain like that. This would either make or break everything. She would hate him forever and cut him out of her life, or he'd get her to realize just how much he would move mountains for her. He would go to the moon for her. He would literally do anything to make her happy, just to make her smile. She meant that damn much to him.

Naturally though, in this situation, he had to keep that all bottled up and let it slowly eat away at his insides.

"Yeah, well. Your loss", he teased lightly, wincing as he felt a sharp jolt of pain run up from his elbow to his shoulder, the same elbow he dropped on John through the Spanish announce table. The bruise he'd surely have tomorrow morning would be gnarly and another one add to his collection. Though he'd take the discoloration and minor pains over the Randy Savage-sized crater that surely was left in John's chest cavity right now.

"Are you sure you don't need any help?", she asked out of instinct alone. She could tell just how beaten up he was right now, though he was trying his best to pass it off like it was no big deal. He was just being his usual stubborn self. She knew him too well.

"I'll be fine", he replied back quickly. He hated being a burden on anyone. His pain was only his to bear, no one else's. It was April's for a time, but he was keeping her on the outside looking in right now. He wasn't going to make her waste her time tending to his every need.

To his surprise, she didn't fight him on it, instead merely nodding her head and mouthing 'Okay'. Leaning back in his chair, he ran a hand through his sweat soaked hair, the gel barely holding it together, and sighed. He couldn't remember a time where his entire body ached like this. Forget his elbow; his entire being was going to be feeling this match for at least the next two weeks. But he didn't care. It was part of the business. He'd allow himself to bask, to revel in the glory of tonight…but once he woke up tomorrow, the calendar reading Monday, he'd be all in on winning back the heart of the girl sitting across from him.

An awkward silence engulfed the room, with him letting the various aches and pains he was experiencing throb all over his body, while she sat there, twiddling her thumbs, and looking at everything but him. He decided he'd break the ice. "Did you enjoy the show?"

"It was everything I thought it would be…it was a fun show. I thought you, Bry, John and Stephen were the stars of the show", she said, finally looking at him and flashing a small grin. "I was on the edge of my seat watching you and John kill each other. There is just one thing though…", she trailed off saying, internally debating on whether or not it would be a good idea to bring up what she saw during his match.

April wasn't blind; she clearly saw what he said, in plain view of the cameras. Did he think she wouldn't see it? Maybe it was a slip of his tongue. No, that would be discrediting him. He knew she'd see it. He wanted her to see it. She knew how he operated. Everything he did or said had a motive behind it, it was calculated. Hunter might've been the 'Cerebral Assassin', but if anything, Phil was the master of mental chess. And now, she felt, she was playing right into his hands.

"Is this about what you saw?", he asked, and right there she resisted the urge to curse very loudly and very angrily. How the hell did he figure it out, she wondered inside her head. It really was eerie how much he resembled Batman. But it really shouldn't have surprised her as much as it was. He knew her like the back of his tattooed hand. He could read her like a book. She both loved and, at this moment, hated that about him.

Nodding her head slowly and making direct eye contact, he sighed, running a hand through his soaking wet hair. Time to put on his best Academy Award performance. "Oh. Yeah, well…it was just the heat of the moment, sweetie. I always say something to myself when I'm about to deliver the elbow."

Now she was confused. He didn't mean any of it? What? This caught her off guard. "Wait…I clearly saw you say 'This is for you, April', and then you winked and then you damn near KILLED yourself with that fucking elbow drop you're so insistent on doing!", she yelled out, becoming very flustered and angry at him. "What the hell do you mean it was just the heat of the moment!?"

It was murdering him on the inside to lie to her like this, and it murdered him even more knowing it had become so easy for him to do these last few months, but he had to forge on, lest everything he had mapped out go to shit before it could fully, truly begin. "I'm sorry, April. I don't know what else to tell you…it really was just that. I'm sorry", he repeated as he stood up and began to slowly limp his way to the showers. "Thank you for stopping by. It means a lot. I'll uh…I'll talk to you soon."

With that, he turned around and got into the showers, turning on the hot water and letting it run before he let it ensconce his aching body. He heard a scream, followed up by what sounded like chairs being thrown against the wall, and he grimaced at the violent thrashing that April was giving the dressing room. He had expected it. It didn't mean he liked having to lie to her again like that. But it was a necessary evil.

For come Wednesday, step one in Operation: Geek Goddess would be put into motion.

"What did those big eyes see in a world where nothings free?
Your innocent beauty was slipping quietly
With every turn you frown
No one to understand
Why would you feel so down?
No one to really see what a woman you could be"

5 – 2 – 12

WWE Headquarters

Stamford, Connecticut

"Mister Danielson, thank you for joining us. Mister Brooks is seated in the lobby. Mister Levesque will be with you both shortly."

Bryan looked over to the lobby and, sure enough, there sat Phil, laid back, feet kicked up and the WWE Title slung across his shoulder. He should have known he would have something to do with this. After Monday night, his suspicions were now confirmed.

"What's up, number one contender?", Phil asked with a smile as his old friend took a seat next to him. "Hope you're ready, my friend, because the ride from here on out is gonna be just a little bit bumpy."

Bryan shook his head and grinned. He could only imagine what the hell was going on in his friend and now on-screen feud partner's head right now. He didn't even think to ask about the wild card in this equation. "I guess you had a hand in me beating the clock on Monday night?"

Phil nodded, that lopsided smile of his never leaving his lips. "They came to me Monday afternoon and asked me who I wanted to feud with next. It was never even a question, I didn't think twice. Of course I had a hand in you beating the clock, bud. You deserve this."

"You could have chosen anyone though. Chris, Alberto, Randy, Nick…why'd you really choose me?", Bryan asked. He knew Phil had an ulterior motive behind this. He appreciated the fact that he was the one that was picked to fight for the WWE Title, but if he knew Phil as well as he thought he did…

Looking around, making sure the coast was clear, Phil leaned in and motioned for Bryan to follow suit. "All right, Dragon, I'll level with you. This whole deal is a two way street. On one hand, you're getting the push you deserve and the exposure that comes with it. And on the other hand…well…call me crazy, but…", he trailed off, putting extra emphasis on 'crazy' and letting Bryan fill in the blanks.

Fill in the blanks he did. As soon as he did so, the revelation hit him like a sack of bricks. His eyes grew wide and his jaw dropped slightly. Phil smiled like the damn Cheshire cat, flicking his tongue over his lip ring as he leaned back in his seat and put his hands behind his head.

"You sly son of a bitch", was all Bryan could offer up as a response, causing Phil to howl with laughter. He knew he had something up those colorful sleeves of his, he just didn't think it'd be something on such a grand scale like this. "You're going to throw her into our feud so you can win her back…I have to admit, that's bold."

"There's a lot more to it than that, but yeah, that's the basic gist of it", Phil said as he grabbed his title and held it in his lap. "I actually pitched the idea for this to Hunter the week after Mania…he told me to get through Extreme Rules in one piece then we'd talk. I saw him Sunday night and told him I was in one piece, but he said to wait till Monday. He came to me then, we talked, and it was all systems go from there."

"So how is this whole thing going to play out?"

"Mr. Brooks, Mr. Danielson. Mr. Levesque is ready to see you both. Follow me this way", said the young secretary as the two of them did as they were asked. After walking down the massive halls of the headquarters, they were at Hunter's door. "Well, here you are gentlemen. Thank you both again for coming."

They nodded their heads and entered the office, being greeted by a giant, Norse-looking Viking skull thing, whatever the hell it was. It was accented nicely by the gold plated sledgehammer hanging above it. The man himself sat there at the head of the table, a welcoming smile on his lips as he motioned for them to sit down. "Punk, Daniel, please have a seat. Will AJ be joining us today?"

"Hey little girl don't look so sad it's not the end of the world
I've seen this film before, already know the ending
Some of the faces change but the plot it stays the same
You gave your heart every moment when no one cared
They made you small they couldn't make you fall"

Phil looked to his new dance partner for the foreseeable future shrugged, while Bryan looked at his phone and sighed. "She texted me a couple of minutes ago, she says her rental is having some problems. She'll try to be here as soon as possible and she says she's super super sorry and hopes that you don't hate her. Those are her words, not mine", he said with a laugh, not missing the small grin Phil had on his lips.

"No worries, you two can just fill her in when she gets here. Now, let's get to business", Hunter said, inviting his champion and his new number one contender to sit down at the table. Folding his hands together as he looked at the two men across from him, he smiled. "So, tell me Punk. What's your vision for this and how would AJ be involved with it?"

He grinned madly, placing the WWE Title down on the table and leaning forward, looking for the entire world like an evil genius ready to unveil his master plan. And to him, it was a master plan. He was gonna get his girl back through hell or high water, and his old friend was coming along for the ride.

"Well, you know how you guys have been portraying April as a bit mentally unstable…acting crazy?"

"Yes", Hunter said, nodding, looking intrigued. "Go on."

"What I have planned out has a lot to do with her acting crazy…"

"Hey little girl
Hey there little girl
Hey little girl"

April cursed under her breath and shook her head in disgust. She was supposed to be here at WWE Headquarters for a meeting with Hunter an hour ago, and here she was showing up now. Bryan had told her that the COO of the company wasn't mad, he understood that was life. She was grateful for that fact. But still. An hour late for a meeting with someone as high up in the company as Hunter? This wasn't a good look on her at all.

After walking in and being directed to Hunter's office by the secretary, she speed walked there in hopes she didn't miss all of the meeting…only to be met by Bryan walking out…with Phil following closely behind. 'What the hell is he doing here?', she asked herself as she came to a stop, the two men seeing and catching up with her. 'And why is he smiling like that? Why is Bryan smiling too?'

"Hey there April", Bryan said, greeting her with a hug and a peck on the cheek.

"What up Apple Jacks", Phil said with a wink and an almost evil looking grin.

She could tell there was something the two of them wanted to say to her, probably about this meeting she was supposed to be a part of. She wanted to know about it right there. "I won't waste time on asking about the details…so just tell me what's going on, guys", she said, making sure to shoot a death glare at Phil for the other night. She wasn't going to be getting over that any time soon.

Phil walked right up to her, invaded her personal space and wrapped her up in a bear hug, even going so far as to lift her off her feet and twirl her around like he used to. She wasn't going to lie, it felt good and she missed it…but she quickly pushed those thoughts from her mind as she squirmed out of his grasp and smacked him repeatedly on the arm. "What the hell, Phil! Just tell me what's going on!"

He couldn't contain herself anymore. "We're gonna be working together! Isn't that just the best news in the world!?"

The color drained from her face as soon as she heard the words escape his lips. She suddenly felt very sick, and very scared. She couldn't believe this. She refused to believe it. Another wave of nausea coursed through her veins. She didn't know what else to do.

She fainted. Again.

And when she woke up, she was going to make a point to murder Phil…

"Hey little girl don't look so sad it's not the end of the world
I've seen this film before, already know the ending
Some of the faces change but the plot it stays the same
So take my hand...
Take my hand...
So take my hand...
Let's walk away"

And that's that! Thanks for reading, I hope you enjoyed! Foxie is up next. Lates! =)